THE myki electronic ticketing system will start operating on the Traralgon line from tomorrow, but what will it cost you? Will it be cheaper than V/Line’s paper tickets?
myki will introduce some fundamental changes to the way V/Line ticketing works. Not only will passengers now have to touch on and touch off at their origin and destination stations, the system uses zone-based pricing, similar to metropolitan zones.
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myki also introduces timed tickets in place of single and return paper tickets. For example, return trips under two hours cost the same as a one-way trip to the same destination.
Off peak ticket eligibility will also be changed. Scroll down to below the comparison tables for more information and an explanation of the impact of this.
Update: PTV warns V/Line customers of peak fare ‘risk’, confirms tram and bus benefits
There are two kinds of myki ticket, both of which can be used with the same card. myki money will replace single and return tickets, whereas V/Line’s periodical tickets (weekly, monthly and date-to-date) will be replicated with roughly equivalent myki pass options.
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Full fare myki cards cost $6 to buy and can be topped up online or at stations. There are different cards for full fare and concession travellers.
Conductors will be equipped with devices to check ticket validity.
Paper tickets will be gradually retired, with all paper ticket types except single and return daily tickets not being sold from 24 September. It is yet to be announced when paper tickets will not be sold at all.
Paper tickets remain the only way to travel east of Traralgon.
Cost comparisons
The Warragul Citizen’s analysis shows you may be paying more or less under myki depending on where you are heading to and from, mainly due to the way zoning has changed fare calculation.
The calculations in the tables below are for full fare return tickets from Baw Baw towns to Melbourne and Traralgon.
Other trips have not been calculated as these comparisons are only intended to indicate whether or not myki is cheaper. For other journeys, click here for paper ticket pricing and here for myki pricing.
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Green text indicates a cheaper fare under myki, blue indicates no change and red indicates a more expensive fare under myki.
All prices have been determined using V/Line and myki’s online calculation tools. Please check prices with the relevant retailers before buying your ticket.
Peak day return:
| Baw Baw town | to Melbourne | to Traralgon |
|---|---|---|
| Trafalgar (8/9) | Paper: $35.60 myki: $35.60 |
Paper: $11.20 myki: $11.20 |
| Yarragon (8) | Paper: $35.60 myki: $35.60 |
Paper: $12.40 myki: $12.40 |
| Warragul (6/7) | Paper: $28.80 myki: $28.80 |
Paper: $15.60 myki: $15.60 |
| Drouin (6) | Paper: $28.80 myki: $28.80 |
Paper: $19.20 myki: $19.20 |
| Longwarry (5/6) | Paper: $25.20 myki: $25.20 |
Paper: $22.00 myki: $19.20 |
Off peak day return:
| Baw Baw town | to Melbourne | to Traralgon |
|---|---|---|
| Trafalgar (8/9) | Paper: $24.80 myki: $24.92 |
Paper: $8.40 myki: $7.82 |
| Yarragon (8) | Paper: $24.80 myki: $24.92 |
Paper: $8.80 myki: $8.68 |
| Warragul (6/7) | Paper: $20.00 myki: $20.16 |
Paper: $10.80 myki: $10.92 |
| Drouin (6) | Paper: $20.00 myki: $20.16 |
Paper: $13.60 myki:$ 13.44 |
| Longwarry (5/6) | Paper: $17.60 myki: $17.64 |
Paper: $15.60 myki: $13.44 |
Weekly (myki pass):
| Baw Baw town | to Melbourne | to Traralgon |
|---|---|---|
| Trafalgar (8/9) | Paper: $97.80 myki: $97.80 |
Paper: $42.00 myki: $42.00 |
| Yarragon (8) | Paper: $97.80 myki: $97.80 |
Paper: $44.00 myki: $44.00 |
| Warragul (6/7) | Paper: $83.40 myki: $83.40 |
Paper: $54.40 myki: $54.40 |
| Drouin (6) | Paper: $83.40 myki: $83.40 |
Paper: $64.00 myki: $64.00 |
| Longwarry (5/6) | Paper: $77.80 myki: $77.80 |
Paper: $73.20 myki: $64.00 |
Monthly (myki pass calculated using 30- and 31-day month):
| Baw Baw town | to Melbourne | to Traralgon |
|---|---|---|
| Trafalgar (8/9) | Paper: $352.20 myki 30: $347.40 myki 31: $358.98 |
Paper: $168.00 myki 30: $165.60 myki 31: $171.12 |
| Yarragon (8) | Paper: $352.20 myki 30: $347.40 myki 31: $358.98 |
Paper: $176.00 myki 30: $173.40 myki 31: $179.18 |
| Warragul (6/7) | Paper: $300.00 myki 30: $295.80 myki 31: $305.66 |
Paper: $209.20 myki 30: $206.40 myki 31: $213.28 |
| Drouin (6) | Paper: $300.00 myki 30: $295.80 myki 31: $305.66 |
Paper: $230.20 myki 30: $227.40 myki 31: $234.98 |
| Longwarry (5/6) | Paper: $279.80 myki 30: $276.00 myki 31: $285.2 |
Paper: $263.40 myki 30: $227.40 myki 31: $234.98 |
11-week (77 day myki pass, 11 week paper date-to-date ticket):
| Baw Baw town | to Melbourne | to Traralgon |
|---|---|---|
| Trafalgar (8/9) | Paper: $767.80 myki: $768.46 |
Paper: $424.60 myki: $425.04 |
| Yarragon (8) | Paper: $767.80 myki: $768.46 |
Paper: $444.40 myki: $445.06 |
| Warragul (6/7) | Paper: $708.40 myki: $708.40 |
Paper: $530.20 myki: $529.76 |
| Drouin (6) | Paper: $708.40 myki: $708.40 |
Paper: $583.00 myki: $583.66 |
| Longwarry (5/6) | Paper: $684.20 myki: $683.76 |
Paper: $662.20 myki: $583.66 |
Changes to off peak fare eligibility
The big change here is the introduction of a minimum number of zones you have to travel across to be eligible for an off peak ticket.
myki requires that you travel across three or more zones to be eligible for an off peak ticket.
To put this in context, it will cost $2.10 for a one-way ticket from Warragul to Drouin at midday where travelling from Yarragon to Drouin on the same train will cost $2.85. At peak time the same trip from Yarragon to Drouin will cost $4.08.
When travelling to and from Melbourne, you will be charged a peak fare if you touch off before 9am or touch on between 4pm and 6pm.
Fare fiddling just got technical
Because zones 1 and 2 (the metropolitan zones which stretch from the CBD to Pakenham) do not have a peak rate, travel is cheaper for people boarding Melbourne-bound trains at Pakenham at peak hour than those who board at stations further east.
A rule requiring passengers travel on one ticket has until now meant travelling on a myki to Pakenham, jumping off and touching off before boarding the train again with a V/Line ticket was not allowed. Doing so on a return Warragul to Melbourne peak trip would result in a $4.56 saving.
A Public Transport Victoria spokesperson told The Warragul Citizen a myki card does, technically, count as one ticket even if it has been touched off and on again.
Jumping off at Pakenham to touch off and on again is however strongly discouraged and it should also be noted individual conductors may not agree that that still counts as one ticket.
“PTV recommends customers do not undertake this kind of behaviour because doing so places yourself and other passengers at risk of injury, all for a small saving,” the spokesperson said.
An update on peak fares and tram and bus benefits
PTV warns V/Line customers of peak fare ‘risk’, confirms tram and bus benefits
The zones
Baw Baw’s myki zones are as follows:
Trafalgar: zones 8 and 9
Yarragon: zone 8
Warragul: zones 6 and 7
Drouin: zone 6
Longwarry: zones 5 and 6
Southern Cross, Flinders Street, Richmond and Caulfield are all zone 1 stations.
Traralgon is zone 12.
Using your myki card
myki is a fussy system – cards must be touched on and off, not swiped, waved or tapped.
Will you be better or worse off under myki? Let us know using the comments box below.
Previous coverage
myki coming to Traralgon line next month
I added my 28 day pass to my registered My I card on Saturday via the Myki website. I will start using it from Monday 8th July. I travel between Warragul and Dandenong each day. The 28 day pass activates from the first time I touch on and runs out after 28 consecutive days. If I buy another 28 day pass on the same card before the first 28 days finishes, the second pass doesn’t activate until the first 28 day period has been completed.
I travel regularly from Warragul to Melbourne and recently I had a meeting outside of Dandenong and then a meeting in Melbourne, so I drove down for the meeting and then parked at Dandenong station which I was lucky to get the only vacant spot available. I then realized I needed a Myki card to travel. There were limited instructions, and I had no idea how much money I would require for a return trip to Melbourne. At the time there was no train attendance to ask. I wonder how our visitors to Victoria cope?
What about the free zone one travel with current (paper) V/Line tickets? Has that disappeared under myki?
Hi BeePee,
I am awaiting a reply from V/Line for the exact details on how it works, but it’s still there. Once you pay to use a zone you can use the zone, so travelling from zone 6 to zone 1 entitles you to travel in zone 1 as you have paid for that zone.
I hope that helps,
Will